The Modern Gift

We have a total sweet spot for the holidays and were honored to collaborate with one of our fave hotel brands to bring the holiday spirit to life this year at The Modern Honolulu Hotel.

When we were tasked to interpret the holidays in a fresh + modern perspective that was reflective of the hotel's brand and aesthetic, we were kids in a candy store whipping up crazy ideas! (in fact, we probably regressed back to young 5 year olds on christmas morning).

THE INSPIRATION.

Photo by Photo Ops Hawaii

The campaign we conceptualized, designed and executed was inspired by the act of giving, which we aptly named "The Modern Gift." To us, the gift was our muse and represented giving guests and ohana a memorable experience that reflected the spirit of the holidays-- a true symbol of aloha and authentic hospitality.

It was important for us to tell a cohesive story through the decor, so we took the elements of a gift and deconstructed each component--the boxes, bows, paper, gift tags and ribbons--to create four impactful installations throughout the property. It was also critical for us to select elements that complemented the hotel's brand + voice, so we leveraged a bold, chic, and luxurious color story consisting of black, whites and accents of gold.

THE LOBBY + PORTICO.

Photo by Photo Ops Hawaii

First impressions are key, so for the lobby window, we hand strung together 240 gold-colored gift tags to greet guests. Each tag was printed with one of six unique statements, which we felt embodied the hotel's promise to each of their guests --The Modern Gift of Aloha, Holiday, Relaxation, Comfort, Luxury and Hospitality. We also designed and applied custom vinyl treatments on the window to signal the holiday theme.

Photos by CURATE decor + design

To us, the holidays wouldn't be complete without a tree, so we constructed two modern paper trees -- the first was a 6-footer, positioned in the lobby, and made of approximately 356 rolls of paper (sans paper cuts). The paper represented the gift wrap and tissue you’d find in the gift box, and each piece of paper was hand-rolled and the same messages were printed at the tip of various "branches."

Photos by CURATE decor + design

We also constructed 31 white gift boxes of varying sizes and strategically placed them throughout the property to tie in the design. Each box was hand-wrapped with metallic gold ribbon and included custom black-colored gift tags.

Photos by CURATE decor + design

THE VERANDA.

Photo by Photo Ops Hawaii

As one of the main spaces on the property, the Veranda is a key thoroughfare that deserved an impactful presentation. Part of our philosophy is to incorporate multiple textures + layers in our design. To achieve this, we individually mounted 362 black pillow gift boxes and bows in a modern herringbone pattern to create a dramatic dimensional backdrop. We then placed the second tree, an 8-foot high tree, made of approximately 580 rolls of paper as the focal point, surrounded by oversized wooden gift boxes.

Photos by CURATE decor + design

This was a massive (but entirely fun) installation taking many long hours to complete ... now we know how Santa's elves feel! Check out this time lapse video to see us in action installing the decor in the Veranda:

A time lapse video of our holiday installation for The Modern Honolulu Hotel.

THE ELEVATOR LANDING.

Photo by Photo Ops Hawaii

The final space was the elevator landing on the 1st floor, just off the hotel gift shop (which, BTW carries a pretty sick collection of goods). To continue the story, we mounted 561 black pillow gift boxes and bows in a vertical subway pattern to create a dramatic dimensional backdrop to frame the space and to mimic the up-and-down motion of the elevators. We then designed five 42-inch high white pedestals with vinyl appliqués and topped with acrylic cases to curate various gifts found throughout the property.

Photo by CURATE decor + design

If you're in the area, we hope you have a chance to check out and enjoy the decor which will be up through the end of the December.

A special shout out to the awesome staff at The Modern Honolulu--you guys really rock and it was fun to chat and get to know all of the talented folks we met. Last but not least, MUCH MAHALO to our amazing crew who helped us bring the installations to life.

From each of us at CURATE, we hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season and a bright 2014.